From the NY Observer:We already know Mayor Bloomberg favors waterfront development, come hell or high water—literally—and so, too, does his former development czar Dan Doctoroff, now head of Bloomberg LP.
It was Mr. Doctoroff, in his capacity as deputy mayor for economic development, who thought up many of the schemes that have led to new apartment towers on the waterfront in Williamsburg and Hunters Point. Thousands of units have been built, tens of thousands have been planned. Mr. Doctoroff still believes that is a good idea, so long as appropriate measures are taken.
“I am obviously a believer in waterfront development,” Mr. Doctoroff said, “but development that is buttressed by strong building codes and is done in conjunction with a smart adaptability strategy. That was a major reason why we made adaptation to climate change a pillar of PlaNYC.”
Not that there is any kind of causation here, but in spite of PlaNYC, the city still got clobbered yesterday.
Also from the Observer:
The infrastructure needed to protect waterfront developments can be considerable, drawing important resources away from other areas.
Mayor Bloomberg did not appear prepared to undertake such investment. “We cannot build a big barrier reef off the shore to stop the waves from coming in; we can’t build big bulkheads that cut people off from the water,” the mayor said. “Robert Moses actually did that with the roads, and we’ve been ever since spending a fortune trying to get around it.”
The consensus among planners The Observer spoke with on Monday and Tuesday is that more needs to be done.
3 comments:
On Sunday night, The Observer encountered Justin Broomfield unpacking his BMW SUV in the driveway of Northside Piers, setting a suitcase, two golf bags, a case of wine and three cases of beer onto a dolly. He said he had just returned from a business trip—otherwise his family would have been out at their place in the country instead of making do at home. “I think our Toll Brothers construction can hold up,” Mr. Broomfield said, referring to the building’s developer. “Besides, we’re on the 26th floor, so we’ll have a good view of the storm.”
If anything, that was the most remarkable thing to hear, and we heard it over and over again. There was frustration, fear, indifference and excitement swirling around the storm, but almost no one would trade his or her life on the waterfront for something a little safer and less dramatic. “I guess if this became an annual thing, I might start to think about moving, but it’s pretty nice otherwise,” Mr. Broomfield said.
“This is not a hole in the ground,” Jim Butler, the stereo enthusiast, said. “The waters will come in, and then they will recede. It’s not New Orleans. It’ll be a big deal for a day or two, and then we get to go back to living our life on the waterfront, which is just the greatest place to be.”
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REMEMBER THOSE WORDS - THIS IS THE PERSON THAT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS ARE TAKING TAXES FROM YOU AND YOUR FAMILY TO SUPPORT.
THIS GUY DOESN'T CARE. HE KNOWS YOU WILL BAIL HIM OUT EVERY TIME.
Doctoroff needs to see a head doctor!
Mother Nature will outwit the best laid building plans of mice and men.
I'll bet that D.D. lives high and dry above it all--counting all the money he's made just to pass the time.
Whoa...a lavender necktie?
Highly suspect.
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